Thanks Jim for filling in where I left off to finish this story our mutual
friend told me about this and I knew you would know the rest.By the way JimX
is still getting stuff from AMG
Carl
----- Original Message -----
From: jim gilmore <jgilmore@oeonline.com>
To: Military Vehicles Mailing List <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] Never say NO
>
> >Milstuf said:
> >"I know where 14 of those went to which dealer and they
> >were totally legal thease as I understand never were sold to any
Government
> >they were rejects or test Vehicles from AMG.".......
>
> >Julian wrote,
> >........Well not exactly. AMG sold those units as scrap to a salvage
> >dealer up there
> >and AMG thought they understood that but it didn't happen that way. They
> >were then sold to collectors (some around $3000) and AMG was miffed by
that
> >and as a result will make sure that if this event happens again, the
units
> >will be shredded. AMG has a very strong stance on this subject. Legal?
> >Perhaps. Rejects? No such thing, AMG doesn't build rejects, only
> >prototypes. These were the first ever built starting with serial number
1.
> >You don't sell your prototypes to the gov't!
>
> Sorry Julian, I have to disagree with you. You are close on this
but
> have some of your facts mixed up.
>
> How do I know? Because I was the one that found that scrapper and
> let the Michigan dealer know about the vehicles. I also bought one of
those
> Hummers.
>
> The ones that went to the scrap dealer you are talking about were
> not the prototypes. There were preproduction (PPV) and production (PRD)
> vehicles. They were used for mileage testing and load testing and were
> built after the deliveries to the Government had begun.
>
> The prototypes went to a different scrap dealer also located in
> Michigan. I know because I took them apart at the scrap yard.
>
> AMG has a test facility on Plymouth road and this is where all of
> these vehicles came from. The prototypes were sold as scrap to Plymouth
> Iron & Metal on Schoolcraft road in Plymouth Twp. PI&M had the scrap
> contract for all scrap coming out of AMG's testing lab. This means all
the
> parts, scrap metal and vehicles. Now, at the time I lived right next door
> to PI&M and when I saw a truck with a Hummer on it pull in there I went
> right over. PI&M had a contract that would not allow them to sell these
> vehicles whole. They would and could sell me anything I wanted off of
> them. I proceeded to dismantle most of the 6 or so prototypes that they
> had there and bought all the parts for scrap prices by the pound.
> I still have some of the data plates with SN# 000006, 000003 and sold
> off others. PI&M would call me every time they had a dumpster come in
with
> more parts and I would go through the 2,000 lbs or so and buy the good
stuff.
>
> A while later I was set up at a gun show and a dealer friend of mine
> said he knew of some Hummers that might be for sale. I had him take me to
> the guy who had them and he was right. They were Hummers and they were for
> sale. This guy (well call him Jim X ) had bought them for scrap and was
> offering them for between $2,500 to $4,500. There were about 15 to 20 of
> them there if I remember correctly. All variations and in running and not
> running condition. Some still had bags of lead shot in the bed where they
> were put to load test them while they ran them back and forth on I-96 to
> rack up miles and see what wore out.
> Why didn't I buy them you're thinking? Two reasons. One, I had just
> bought a nearly new van and had little money and two, at that time
> (pre-Gulf War) no one knew what they were and no demand had been created
> for them.
> So, I contacted my friend, that Michigan dealer, and had him come
over
> to check them out. He looked them over and thought the $4,000 or so for
the
> nice ones might be high (remember, no one knew much about these things
> then). I said that I though they ought to be worth about $10,000.00
> each. Well, he went home and thought about it for a day or so and called
> me back to go over with him and help him pick out four of them. Since I
> had found these for him he offered to loan me the money for one. (like I
> said, he is friend) I picked out a nice open top model that was
complete
> except for the steering column and bought it for $4,000.00. This Hummer,
> PRD-351, had 2,200 miles on it and was used for testing the RED-T chain
gun
> so it saw little use. Of course the missing steering was no problem for
me
> as I had all the parts from the PI&M Hummers and had it running in a day.
> Now, the scrapper, Jim X, sold one of these vehicles just before we
> bought ours to a MV dealer in Indiana. This dealer called AMG looking for
> parts and said since he had one could he buy from the factory. Well the
> factory wanted to know where he got one of these since they did not sell
to
> the public. When they found out about Jim X selling them they got right on
> his case. He pulled off the data plates from the vehicles and (I think)
> sent them back. Then he contacted the Michigan dealer and made a deal for
> all the rest that he had left. Now, pulling off the data plates would
seem
> like a problem but each of these vehicles had a plate riveted to the
> drivers side cowl with the SN of the vehicle. This made it simple to title
> them here in Michigan and that's what I did with mine. I still have the
> paper work with the SN listed as PRD 351 (and insured by AAA) .
> If you ever see a Hummer with a small plate on the side with PPV or
> PRD you will know it was one of this batch.
>
> Hold on, before you guys get out your phone books and start looking
> for PI&M I should tell you that they sold the yard and all the scrap, I
> mean every piece, was sent out to the mills.
>
> And, about AMG shredding everything? Well, maybe in South Bend, but
> not here in Detroit. Several months ago I spotted a military Hummer on a
> roll off truck sitting in a junk yard near my home. Checking inside I
found
> that they did have more in the yard and they were for sale or for parts.
> Seems they have the scrap contract now. Unfortunately, they know the value
> of a Hummer and there are no real deals to be had. No, I'm not telling
the
> name of this yard, gotta keep some thing quiet cause I don't want the FBI
> called on them.................
>
> >............. BTW, did you know police and other
> >gov't municiples can get Hummers for law enforcement if they become
> >available through surplus and for free? 151 jeeps were never available
that
> >way as they were on the demil list.............
>
> Maybe now, but years ago there were M-151's that went to some state
> agencies and a few were sold. I could tell you more but I won't to
protect
> the innocent...........
>
> BTW.......I hear my old Hummer is for sale in Texas. You can tell it if
you
> see it by four square holes in the bed where the mount for the RED-T gun
> was attached. Course it's gonna cost a little more than I paid for
> it.................
>
>
>
> Jim Gilmore MVPA # 5843
>
> Member Ist Michigan AOD Chapter MVPA
> Great Lakes Chapter MVPA
> Ohio Motor Pool Chapter MVPA
> Red Ball Chapter MVPA
> Ontario Military Vehicle Association
> Midwest Military Vehicle Assocation
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 03 2000 - 20:29:52 PST